<![CDATA[Chris Riback's Newsletter: Trial Balloon]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/s/trial-balloonhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C7sw!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08ae4d38-5c4a-476f-9ccd-76761a57f2de_256x256.pngChris Riback's Newsletter: Trial Balloonhttps://www.chrisriback.com/s/trial-balloonSubstackWed, 20 May 2026 18:55:13 GMT<![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Games Politicians Play]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-games-politicians-playhttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-games-politicians-playFri, 15 May 2026 10:31:10 GMTWill this be a race to the bottom? Or is it our best chance at saving democracy?

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Map Wars]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-map-warshttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-map-warsFri, 08 May 2026 10:31:28 GMTCan Republicans redraw enough congressional maps to hold back a Democratic wave in the midterms?

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Never Waste a Good Crisis]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-never-waste-a-goodhttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-never-waste-a-goodFri, 01 May 2026 10:31:24 GMTWas it good politics for Donald Trump to use an assassination attempt to advance his agenda?

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Covid Redux?]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-covid-reduxhttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-covid-reduxFri, 24 Apr 2026 10:31:26 GMTChris gives Taegan an in-class essay.

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Politics & Provocation]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-politics-and-provocationhttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-politics-and-provocationFri, 17 Apr 2026 10:31:23 GMTIs it ever good politics to attack the Pope?

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Who’s Happy Now?]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-whos-happy-nowhttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-whos-happy-nowFri, 10 Apr 2026 10:31:34 GMTWho is happy with the current state of the Iran War?

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Why Give The Speech?]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-why-give-the-speechhttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-why-give-the-speechFri, 03 Apr 2026 10:31:29 GMTTrump’s speech aimed to explain the war but instead left its purpose unclear and raised more doubts than it resolved.

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Breaking: Journalist Discovers Journalism]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-breaking-journalisthttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-breaking-journalistFri, 27 Mar 2026 10:31:10 GMTThis week’s most interesting media story isn’t what was reported—but how it was done… and why it should be a model for journalism today.

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Off to the Races]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-off-to-the-raceshttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-off-to-the-racesFri, 20 Mar 2026 10:31:49 GMTHow the Iran war is reshaping the 2026 midterms.

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Victory or Votes]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-victory-or-voteshttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-victory-or-votesFri, 13 Mar 2026 10:30:52 GMTHow the politics of the upcoming election cycle could constrain Trump’s military ambitions.

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Succession Plan]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-succession-planhttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-succession-planFri, 06 Mar 2026 11:31:08 GMTThe 2028 presidential race got less clear for Republicans but perhaps a little more clear for Democrats.

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: What'd I Miss?]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-whatd-i-misshttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-whatd-i-missFri, 27 Feb 2026 11:31:07 GMTFresh off an unexpected, medically induced news blackout, we survey the political wreckage that piled up while Taegan was out.

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Win Bigly]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-win-biglyhttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-win-biglyFri, 06 Feb 2026 11:31:11 GMTWhat should Democrats do to prepare for the midterm elections?

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Fast and Furious]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-fast-and-furioushttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-fast-and-furiousFri, 30 Jan 2026 11:31:11 GMTIs this our Kent State moment?

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Who Shot Greenland?]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-who-shot-greenlandhttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-who-shot-greenlandFri, 23 Jan 2026 11:31:17 GMTOur Copenhagen correspondent kicks off the show with commentary from Denmark.

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Irony Is Dead]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-irony-is-deadhttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-irony-is-deadFri, 16 Jan 2026 11:30:56 GMTShould a president ever flip the bird at a car factory worker?

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Quite a Year Already]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-quite-a-year-alreadyhttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-quite-a-year-alreadyFri, 09 Jan 2026 11:31:36 GMTNo easing in. The year is already at full speed.

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Politics in the New Year]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-politics-in-the-newhttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-politics-in-the-newFri, 02 Jan 2026 11:30:50 GMTLooking back and looking ahead.

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: Holiday Mailbag]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-holiday-mailbaghttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-holiday-mailbagFri, 26 Dec 2025 11:30:19 GMTWe take listener questions... and wish each other (and you!) a happy holiday season!

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]]><![CDATA[Trial Balloon: What Was That?]]>https://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-what-was-thathttps://www.chrisriback.com/p/trial-balloon-what-was-thatFri, 19 Dec 2025 11:31:27 GMTDonald Trump talks to the nation.

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